Pokémon XP: Adventures in Kanto
by MasterOfTheStarburst
Summary: Luke Bennett's an aspiring young trainer who came all the way to Kanto to begin his Pokemon adventure. Join him and his faithful Riolu, Percy, as they travel the land in pursuit of becoming Pokemon champions! Watch as they make friends, rivals, and enemies, like the sinister organization known as Team Rocket. What experiences await them? Come along on their journey and find out!
1. Welcome to Kanto, Part 1

**Hello, everyone! Thanks for taking the time out of your day to check out my story! Here we have a Pokemon story, obviously! It stars an OC I've used a lot in many things over the years, but I've finally decided to give him a role in a more readable setting. I hope you all like him! Also, his partner Pokemon is Riolu, and I'm aware that that little guy's used a lot, but I like him, and I'm going to use him regardless! If any of you got a problem with that, then you can take it up with my Lucario and see where that goes! If you dare... ;)**

**Anyway, I won't bore you too much. Just know that this adventure will be set in the Kanto region, and there will be appearances from the characters from the show as well! As to which ones, you'll have to read and find out! Also, look forward to some other OCs I'll be putting in as well! That being said, enjoy the story! It's going to be great! Hopefully... XD**

* * *

_**~Route 1, Kanto (Day Time)~**_

It was a bright and sunny day in Kanto. Flocks of Pidgey soared through the cloudless skies, while everything appeared peaceful down on the ground below. All seemed quiet, but the silence was soon disturbed as two Pokemon trainers were seen coming face-to-face with another. One was young male with short dark brown hair wearing a casual white shirt with red outlining, short dark brown pants, and red and white sneakers over white socks. The other was another young male, but had a more dominant appearance compared to the others, along with a Pokemon standing by his side.

This young male trainer had wavy dirty blonde hair with a cap covering most of it that was red in the back half and white on the front half with a black bill and a black Poke Ball logo on the white front. He had bright blue eyes and slightly pale complexion. He wore a dark blue shirt that was white on the lower half, separated from the blue by a barely noticeable yellow line. He also wore long, dark brown jeans with a black belt and silver buckle below the waist, and red sneakers with white laces and soles and blacks wavy lines on the sides. On his hands were black finger-less gloves with white wrist guards connected, and on his back was a black backpack.

The Pokemon that stood next to him was a Pokemon not normally seen in the Kanto region. It was a Riolu, the emanation Pokemon, and it gave a confident smirk with its trainer at the other male trainer, who slowly took out a Poke Ball and aimed it right at them. "I take it you're not from around here, are you?" he smirked back with confidence at the two. "I mean, where else do I ever see a trainer with a Riolu around these parts?"

"Heh... That obvious, huh?" the blonde male trainer replied. "Yeah, we're new around here, but I'm sure you already figured that out. Name's Luke! Luke Bennett!" he introduced himself before smiling down at his Riolu. "And this here's Percy, my trusty partner in crime!"

The Riolu, named Percy, gave a greeting of his own in his Pokemon language to the other male trainer, who chuckled in response. "That's pretty cool, but is that little guy strong?" he asked with a smirk. "What do you say, new guy? Up for a little battle?"

"Hey... We're always up for a battle!" the blonde male named Luke replied as he slipped off his backpack and rested it close by before looking back down at Percy. "Right, pal?"

Percy smiled and gave a reply with a nod to his trainer before running up and took a battle stance, feeling ready for battle. "Well don't be shocked when you see how tough we are!" the other male trainer shouted as he threw his Poke Ball in the air. "Come on out, Sandshrew!"

With a flash of light, a Sandshrew came out before their eyes, letting out a shout before preparing itself for battle with Percy, while Luke couldn't help but smile at it. "Cool! A Sandshrew!"

"Sandshrew and I've won nine battles in a row this week." the other male trainer stated with a confident smirk. "And you're about to be our tenth!"

"We'll just see about that!" Luke smirked back with Percy. "Hit us with your best shot!"

"We intend to!" Sandshrew's trainer replied before pointing towards Percy. "Sandshrew, use Slash!"

Responding to its trainer's orders, Sandshrew leaped forward with its claws sharpened and glowing in a white glow and attempted to slash down at Percy. "Dodge it, Percy!" Luke shouted, and quickly afterwards, Percy moved to the side and dodged Sandshrew's Slash just in time. "Come on! I said hit us with your BEST shot!" he smirked. "Don't tell me that was it?"

"No way! Use Rock Tomb!" shouted Sandshrew's trainer as the ground mouse Pokemon did as it was told and hurdled a large rock it formed above its head right at Percy as it broke up into smaller ones almost the little Riolu's size.

"Percy, Dig! Now!" Luke quickly ordered, and Percy wasted no time jumping up and came down upon the ground, digging a hole a split second before the rocks fell upon where he previously stood, surprising Sandshrew, but even more so when he jumped out and impacted the ground mouse Pokemon on its left side. "Yeah! Now use Force Palm!"

Following up one move after another, Percy thrust his right paw forward and out as it glowed a white glow like Sandshrew's claws did when it used Slash and made contact on the ground mouse Pokemon before a small explosion occurred, sending it flying a ways before hitting the ground. However, it didn't take long for Sandshrew to get back up, despite the damage it took. "Come on, Sandshrew! Don't give up!" its trainer shouted with determination. "Use Bulldoze!"

Determined as well, Sandshrew jumped up and came down upon the ground with a fist, causing a shock wave to spread towards Percy, taking him by surprise as the little Riolu found it hard to stay up on his toes, which brought a shock to Luke as well. "Hang in there, Percy!"

"Now we got 'em!" Sandshrew's trainer smirked before pointing at Percy again. "Use Slash!"

Seizing the opportunity, Sandshrew leaped forward and attempted to strike Percy again with another Slash while the little Riolu was barely standing upright. "Quick, Percy! Use Double Team! Now!" Luke shouted, and just when Percy managed to regain his footing again at the right moment to implement the command, quickly duplicating himself with Double Team just as Sandshrew slashed its claw, but only struck a duplicate, surprising it as it then noticed it was surrounded by a dozen Riolu, unable to determine which was the real Percy. "Now's our chance!" Luke smirked as he raised a hand up high. "Percy, use Vacuum Wave!"

While Sandshrew was distracted by the duplicates, the real Percy waved his right arm before raising it up high like Luke did his and shouted as a light blue gale swirled around him, causing the little Riolu to rise up into the air and cross his arms before opening them and unleashed an air wave in the form of a slash down upon Sandshrew, surprising it and its trainer as it made contact, sending the little ground mouse flying back before hitting the ground hard. "Sandshrew, no!" its trainer shouted in worry as Sandshrew lied motionless on its front with its eyes swirling, the sign of being unable to continue.

"Oh yeah!" Luke grinned with joy as he gave a thumbs up towards Percy. "Way to go, Percy! Way to shine, pal!"

When Percy landed back on his toes, he immediately turned and gave a thumbs up and a grin back at his trainer, shouting with joy, while Sandshrew's trainer got down on one knee near his defeated Pokemon and sighed. "...So much for our tenth victory in a row." he stated, but was surprised when Luke and Percy came up to him. "Huh?"

"You know, you and your Sandshrew are pretty good." he admitted, along with Percy as he then held a finger up. "Not to mention that Bulldoze caught us by surprise. I bet with a little more training, you two'd be unstoppable!"

"You think so?" Sandshrew's trainer replied with a smile as he stood back up, just as Sandshrew got back up.

"I honestly have no idea, but I do know that that was a great battle." Luke smiled as he offered the young male trainer a handshake. "Let's battle again next time!"

"Heh! You got it!" Sandshrew's trainer took Luke's hand and gave a handshake back, while Percy did the same with Sandshrew, telling it that he looks forward to another battle with it, and Sandshrew said likewise with a smile.

* * *

_"And so, with a victory under their belt, and a little more experience, along with making new friends, Luke Bennett and his Riolu, Percy, continue on their journey towards their ultimate goal of being the best. To achieve that, Luke'll have to become a Pokemon champion, a dream he's had since he was little, but all champions have to start somewhere, and he chose Kanto to be his starting point, despite being from a different region."_

_"Yes. This world is filled with many Pokemon in many different places. Though some appear in certain areas of the world, you'll find that, no matter where you go, you'll always find Pokemon. Some live in the forest, others up in the mountains, in the depths of the ocean, and even soaring through the skies. There are even some Pokemon that exist in legend, though not may have determined if they're real or not, but if you keep your eyes and imagination open to the possibility, you may just discover these so called legendary Pokemon."_

_"Like Luke and his Riolu, humans and Pokemon have learned to coexist with one another, aiding each other in many ways. Some care to befriend Pokemon and keep them as pets, while others, like Luke, use them for competition with others and forge stronger connections. However, there are those who tend to take advantage of a Pokemon's trust and use them for their own selfish ambitions in the name of darkness, like the sinister organization known throughout Kanto as Team Rocket, who use Pokemon with such selfishness."_

_"Yet, no matter how great a evil may fall upon the world, there'll always be those who'll fight back such things through the strong bonds with their Pokemon friends. Just like Luke and his Riolu, Percy. Though there are many stories to be told in this world, here we following them as they pursue their dreams. This is their story. A story of adventure, friendship, and so much more..."_

**_-Theme Song Plays: Gotta Catch 'Em All! (XY Version)-_**

* * *

_**~Unkown City, Kanto (Day Time)~**_

Somewhere else in the Kanto region, in an unmarked city, at a local deli restaurant, a young girl was working the register with long, dark, navy blue hair with a red ribbon wrapped near the end, brown eyes, and wore a black and yellow uniform to match the color settings of her work surrounds, along with a dark red apron that was slightly messy from working with the deli meats. She just finished ringing up another customer before smiling and waved farewell as they headed out the front door.

"Have a nice day!" she exclaimed, but was surprised when two individuals walked in right after in black trench coats and sunglasses to hide their eyes.

One of them was a female with long golden hair worn in pigtails, along with pink triangular earrings pointing downward. The other was a male with short green hair, and they both smirked upon reaching the young girl at the register. "We'd like an extra large sandwich combo." said the female in a calm, but almost ominous manner.

"With extra everything added on top." said the male in the same calm, but almost ominous manner, but the young girl at the register just smirked and nodded at their strange order.

"Right... An extra large sandwich combo with extra everything added on top coming right up." she repeated back the order before leaving the register to take care of it, leaving the two standing there for a moment as they grinned and chuckled to themselves.

It wasn't long till the strange individuals received their unusual order and sat somewhere private in the restaurant and looked in all directions to make sure nobody was around to notice anything they'd do. Afterwards, they grabbed an end of the extremely large sandwich with all the toppings inside and pulled hard till it broke in two, causing some of its toppings to spill out. However, a small, flat, and square techno chip flew out among the toppings, and the male individual grabbed it, wiping off some mayo that was on it before pressing a small red button on it and placed it down in the middle of the table as it was a recorded message by a strange male voice.

"Good afternoon, Cassidy and Biff!" the strange man greeted the two, but the mention of the male's name didn't seem to please him.

"It's Butch!" he exclaimed, correcting the man in the recorded message, only to be shushed by the female named Cassidy. "Sorry..."

"I have your next mission right here." the strange man in the recorded stated as a holographic image was lit before Cassidy and Butch's sight, showing a Riolu to them. "Your mission is to capture this Riolu. My sources have determined it's with a young boy who's on his way to Pallet Town as we speak. This Riolu will serve well in my research to control Pokemon through their own auras. Bring it to me at once! Do not fail! That is all!"

Once the message was done, the holographic image of Riolu faded and the techno chip disintegrated on its own, leaving Cassidy and Butch to grin at one another at the mission they were given. "Did you hear that? A Riolu." stated Butch.

"And one here in Kanto." stated Cassidy. "Do you know how rare an opportunity like this is? We have to catch it for Namba."

"And when we do, it'll be a major promotion for us." Butch added before he and Cassidy chuckled wickedly at their next plan of action.

* * *

_**~Pallet Town, Kanto (Day Time)~**_

After having their battle with the boy and his Sandshrew, Luke and Riolu continued down Route 1, seeing the sights of nature Kanto had to offer until they finally reached their destination. Down a hill they could see a small town known in Kanto as Pallet Town, home of Kanto's very own Professor Oak, so it says on the welcome sign, along with its population. The two smiled upon reading said sign.

"We're finally here, Percy. Pallet Town." stated Luke before turning his sights down at Percy. "It was a bit of a walk, but we made it. Now to find Professor Oak!"

Percy nodded and agreed before sprinting off with his trainer down the hill into Pallet Town, both with excited expressions as they did so.

* * *

_**~Pallet Town, Prof. Oak's Lab (Day Time)~**_

At Professor Oak's laboratory, everything was peaceful as Tracey, an assistant to the professor, was seen in the back of the small building feeding some newly made Pokemon food to some Jumpluff, who were eager to get another round of food from the young man. Tracey had olive green hair and wore a short-sleeved, green shirt with a darker green border on it, dark red shorts, an orange headband, white socks, and tennis shoes colored purple and bright orange, with white soles. He smiled as he took out another small piece of food, which was in a cylinder shape, and held it out to the Jumpluff up front.

"Ready? Catch." he said as he tossed the little bit of food and the head Jumpluff excitingly jumped up and caught it in its mouth, then landed back on the ground and munched away at it happily. "I'm so glad you all like this stuff. Took a few tries to finally get it just right."

But just as he was about to give out more food to the other Jumpluff, he heard the door bell rang over an intercom that spread throughout the building, catching his attention as he turned his head back towards the laboratory. "Hmm? Wonder who that could be?" he asked as he got up and headed back inside, leaving the Jumpluff surprised and confused, but quickly changed back to happy when the rest of the food was left out for them to eat on their own.

* * *

Inside, Tracey ran down the hall to the front door as whoever was outside kept ringing the bell constantly. "Coming! Coming!" he exclaimed till he reached the door and opened it to see a slightly exhausted and panting Luke Bennett with his eyes closed. "Hello?" he asked upon seeing the young and slightly tired boy, making him curious. "Huh... Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good..." Luke answered as he took a deep breath before smiling and opened his eyes at Tracey. "We just ran all the way here. This is town's not as small as I thought."

"We?" Tracey asked in confusion as he looked around, but spotted nobody other than Luke until he heard something call down to him from below and looked down to see Percy smiling up at him. "Huh? Is that a...?" he took a moment to figure out what kind of Pokemon Percy was, and when he realized that he was a Riolu, his eyes went wide in surprise. "Is that a Riolu?!"

"Not just any Riolu. This here's my pal! Percy!" Luke stated as Percy held a paw up and gave a greeting to Tracey, while Luke pointed a thumb up at himself. "And I'm Luke Bennett."

"Luke Bennett?" Tracey asked back in confusion again, but soon realized who he was and smiled. "Oh yeah...! You're the kid Professor Oak mentioned! He said you were coming by later today!"

"That's me!" Luke grinned and crossed his arms. "So glad to be remembered by some people."

Upon saying that, Percy turned his head away slightly and smirked, but also rolled his eyes and gave a slightly chuckle to himself before facing up at Tracey again. "So is the professor here?" asked Luke, uncrossing his arms and smiled. "I'd really like to see him, please."

"I'm afraid the professor's not here at the moment, but he should back real soon." Tracey answered before allowing passage for Luke and Percy to come in. "But you're more than welcome to wait here till he comes."

"Sweet!" Luke exclaimed with joy as he and Percy ran right inside, then stopped to face Tracey again. "Thanks! ...Uh...?"

"You can call my Tracey, by the way." answered Tracey, as if he knew what Luke was trying to figure out, making the young boy smile again.

"Right! Thanks, Tracey!" Luke thanked, and so did Percy, making the young man close his eyes in delight at the both of them.

* * *

Once Luke and Percy were able to settle down and rest inside the professor's laboratory, Tracey wasted no time whipping up something to drink for them and placed some homemade tea on a table in front of them. "Hope you both don't mind some tea. It's homemade."

"Not at all! Thanks!" Luke thanked, along with Percy as they sat on a sofa next to one another and leaned over to grab their cups before taking a sip, and afterwards found the taste of Tracey's tea quite enjoyable, especially to Percy. "Mmm... This is just as good as the tea Mom makes back home!"

Percy let out a shout of delight with his eyes shut happily, agreeing with his trainer before resuming enjoying his tea, while Tracey smiled in delight at their compliments. "Thanks, you two." he thanked before deciding to sit on a different sofa on the other side of the table. "So tell me, Luke... Where you from?"

"From Aquacorde Town." answered Luke upon finishing another sip of his tea and smiled. "That's in the Kalos region, by the way."

"The Kalos region?" Tracey was surprised to hear, but was also curious. "So then, what brings you all the way here to Kanto?"

"Well, you see, Percy and I did originally plan to start our adventures in Kalos, but that changed when my Dad came home a week before I could go out on my journey." Luke explained just as Percy finished his tea and let out a happy sigh of delight. "He went on and on about his latest visit to Kanto and it got me thinking, then one thing led to another, and now here we are."

"I see." replied Tracey, finding Luke's explanation fascinating as he smiled again. "So what was your Dad doing exactly in Kanto? Before you arrived, that is."

"Well, my Dad's what you might call an event planner and organizer. Mostly for the kind that has to do with Pokemon competition, and it sometimes takes him to places outside our home in Kalos." Luke explained before a smirk grew on his face and held a fist up. "But my Dad's also a professional Pokemon trainer, and when the time comes, Percy and I'll take him on in a battle and win!"

Feeling the same as his trainer, Percy raised a fist up as well and agreed with Luke. "Well then I wish you both the best of luck!" replied Tracey, as he, Luke, and Percy were unaware that a small figure, about close to the same height as Percy was, peeked into the room they were in around a corner of an opened door with big blue eyes, which were set mostly upon Luke.

"Thanks, Tracey!" Luke thanked, along with Percy, making whoever was spying on them grow an open mouth smile, showing small fangs and a tail wagged behind them that had a small flame at the tip, but quickly hid when the sound of the front door opening caught its attention.

"Hello? I'm back!" shouted an older man's voice, but had some energy to it, which caught Luke, Tracey, and Percy's attention.

"It's the professor!" exclaimed Tracey, which made Luke grin with excitement.

"All right! He's here! Finally!" he shouted, and Percy couldn't be as more excited as he too was glad to hear the professor had returned.

"Tracey? Was that you?" the professor asked as he came made his way into the room his assistant was in with Luke and Percy. "Is there someone with you?" he appeared to be a middle aged man with gray hair and sported a light maroon polo shirt underneath a lab coat. He wore a brown belt supporting his beige pants along with matching brown loafers. Upon entering the room, he spotted Tracey, but his eyes went wide when he saw Luke and Percy was there with him. "Oh? Who's this?"

"This is Luke Bennett, professor!" Tracey answered as he stood up and introduced Luke. "He's the trainer you told me would be coming over later today, remember?"

"Hey, professor!" Luke waved and smiled, along with Percy. "Long time no see!"

The moment the professor took a closer look at Luke, he instantly remembered him and smiled. "Ah! Luke! Yes! Now I remember!" he exclaimed as Luke and Percy got off the sofa they sat on. "It's been such a long time." he then turned his sights down on Percy. "And Percy! Good to see you again, too!"

Percy said likewise back to the professor, but Tracey grew confused as to what he meant by a long time. "Wait. Professor Oak, you mean to tell me you met Luke and his Riolu already?" he asked, which the professor nodded in reply. "When did that happen?"

"It was a couple years back, Tracey." the professor answered as he flashed back to events from the past. "You see, Luke's father is known for setting up and planning Pokemon battle competition events all over. It was in Viridian City, which I was invited to help judge the event, where I met him and his family, who came to enjoy the event too. Among them was Luke and Percy."

"Of course I don't remember that very much, but I never could forget someone as famous as Professor Oak." Luke smiled, embarrassing the professor, but in a good way.

"Oh you're too kind..." he replied before smiling normally again. "Anyway, it was after that event I stayed in contact with his father, and it was he who informed me of Luke's coming to Kanto."

"Oh...!" Tracey replied, a smile returned to his face. "So that explains it!"

"Indeed." the professor then came up to Luke and offered a handshake. "Still, it's good to see again after so long, Luke. You've really grown!"

"Thanks, professor!" Luke thanked and Percy closed his eyes in delight with a smile.

* * *

However, unaware to Luke, Percy, Tracey, and the professor, outside, someone was spying on them through a pair of binoculars, watching them interact through the window. "That must be the boy Namba was talking about." said the familiar voice of Butch as he spotted Luke, but soon shifted his view towards Percy. "And there's the Riolu, just as the good doctor ordered."

"I can't believe that kid's just walking around with a rare Pokemon like that out in the open." said another familiar voice, which was Cassidy, who hid in some bushes not too far from the laboratory with Butch, smirking. "This might be easier then I thought."

"So, how do you want to do this?" asked Butch as he and Cassidy put their binoculars down, smirking as well.

"We just go in and nab the little thing." Cassidy answered with a simply plan of action. "I mean, the only ones we need to worry about are the professor and that dimwitted assistant of his."

"Good point." Butch replied as he and Cassidy withdrew back before coming out of the bushes, revealing their new outfits.

Cassidy's was a black short-sleeved mini dress with a red R logo on the front, plus white gloves that reached the sleeves and had a red stripe near that area, and white thigh high boots with the same stripe near the tops and a small heel. Butch's was a black long-sleeve shirt with a large red R on it as well, with a white belt, black pants, and white boots and gloves with red trims.

"Let's go catch ourselves a Pokemon." Cassidy smirked with her arms crossed, along with Butch, doing the same thing.

"Right." he nodded. "One Riolu coming right up!" he then laughed loudly with Cassidy at their nefarious scheme before they headed back into the nearby forest to prepare.

* * *

After being reacquainted with Professor Oak, Luke and Percy were taking to another room with him and Tracey, which appeared to had equipment one would find in any laboratory, along with other machinery to better aid the professor. Though despite the uniqueness of the room surrounding them, they were more focused on what the professor had to offer Luke as he took out a small red device. "Here you are, Luke." he said as he handed it towards the young boy. "This Pokedex is for you."

"Cool! A Pokedex!" exclaimed Luke excitingly, along with Percy as he took the Pokedex and gazed at it for a moment with an open mouth smile, and so did Percy. "Wow!"

"This Pokedex should serve you quite well on your journey through Kanto." the professor explained. "If you happen to come across any Pokemon you're unfamiliar with, it'll tell you everything you need to know about them."

"Neat!" Luke replied as he smiled back at the professor. "Thanks, professor!"

"And of course, you'll need these as well." the professor admitted as he handed Luke five shrunken Poke Balls in his other hand. "After all, you can't be a Pokemon trainer if you don't have any Poke Balls to catch Pokemon with."

"Uh duh!" replied Luke as he took the Poke Balls from the professor and put them away. "Everyone knows that's the basic rule of being a trainer." he stated, and Percy agreed before setting a smile back upon the professor, along with Luke. "Thanks for everything, professor. Really appreciate it."

"Oh it's just one of the many jobs I love to do." the professor admitted with a smile as he brushed a hand at Luke's appreciation.

"After all, the professor just loves to help new trainers get started on their Pokemon journey." Tracey added. "He even gives trainers their first Pokemon when they come to see him."

"First Pokemon?" Luke asked, a bit surprised. "You mean like how Professor Sycamore does back in Kalos with Chespin, Froakie, and Fennekin?"

"Yes! Just like him, but the Pokemon I give out are much different." Professor Oak replied as he grew a more embarrassed smile. "And I'd love to show them to you, but I'm afraid most of them were given out to new trainers recently."

Upon hearing the professor had already given away the starting Pokemon some time ago, Luke was surprised, disappointed. "Oh man... I would've liked to see them." he sighed sadly, but quickly grew a smile back on his face before getting down on one knee and pat Percy on the head. "But that's fine. I already got me a cool first Pokemon right here! And there's no better Pokemon I'd rather have than Percy!" he stated, making Percy close his eyes and smile as he stated he was honored.

"Hold on, professor." Tracey interjected. "There actually is still one left. Remember the Charmander that was given back to us a few days ago?"

"Oh that's right!" the professor realized, then smiled with embarrassment again. "I almost forgot about that little one."

"Huh?" Luke overheard as he Percy faced up at the professor. "You mean there is one here after all? Awesome!" he grinned, but Percy gave a displeased look at his trainer, making him grin with embarrassment. "What? Just because I like having you as my first doesn't mean I can't to take a look at the others for peeks."

"I'm sure it's around here somewhere." Tracey stated, unaware that the very same Charmander that was spying on he and Luke before was spying on them again around the corner of some machinery, looking unsure of it should go up and approach them or not.

"I'm sure it is, but it's probably being shy as usual." said the professor as Luke stood back up and gave him a curious look at him.

"What do you mean, professor?" he asked, which made Percy curious too. "Is there something wrong with Charmander or something?"

"Not at all, but... uh..." the professor crossed his arms, trying to figure out how to best explain the story to Luke. "Well, let me explain like this. Charmander is one of the three starting Pokemon I give out to new trainers, but a few days ago, the trainer that picked this Charmander returned it to us."

"But why would they do that?" Luke asked, a bit surprised to hear as Tracey jumped in.

"Apparently, he said that that Charmander wasn't following any of his orders and kept shying away from battle." he explained. "They just weren't compatible, apparently. So he came back and returned it to us."

"Better to do that than just abandon Charmander like some trainers would." Professor Oak stated, closing his eyes and shook his head. "And it's sad when that happens."

"I hear ya." Luke replied, slightly sadden by the story of Charmander's return, and so was Percy, but the young boy quickly grew a smile back on his face. "But I'm sure there's a trainer out there for Charmander. Someone who can handle it better."

"That's what I said." Tracey smiled and agreed with Luke. "Who knows what that'll happen, but give it some time, and I'm sure the right trainer will come for Charmander."

"Exactly!" exclaimed Luke with a smirk as a held a fist up slightly. "And like you said, it's not abandoned, so I'm sure it'll be just fine." Percy smile returned and he agreed with his trainer, much to Charmander's joy when it overheard and was about to step out to introduce itself, but was taken by surprise when an explosion occurred, causing it to fall backwards, while Luke and the others saw that it was the wall that exploded, catching them by surprise.

"What's going on?!" the professor asked as a strange metal hand shot out from the smoke caused by the explosion and grabbed Percy, catching the little Riolu by surprise as he shouted while being taken away by Luke.

"Percy!" he yelled in shock as Percy was seen taken to a strange small container machine that encased him in a thick glass dome that was big enough to trap his entire body in, surprising him as he tried pounding his way out, but found that his strength had no effect on the glass.

"Don't bother trying, you little mutt!" exclaimed none other than Butch as he and Cassidy were slowly revealed when the smoke begun to clear up, smirking as he held onto the container machine over his shoulders. "This thing was made specially to trap fighting types like you!"

"We got it! We actually got it! Riolu's ours!" exclaimed Cassidy in joy, much to everyone else's surprise.

"It's Team Rocket!" Tracey shouted, knowing exactly who Cassidy and Butch were apparently.

"What are you doing taking Percy?!" asked Luke in anger as he pointed at the nefarious duo. "Who do you think you are?!"

"Who we are is trouble!" Cassidy replied, turning her smirk towards the young boy.

"And you better make it double!" Butch added, turning his smirk towards Luke as well, then struck a unison pose with Cassidy, pointing their fingers at everyone.

Both: "HERE'S OUR MISSION, SO YOU BETTER LISTEN!"

Cassidy: "TO INFECT THE WORLD WITH DEVASTATION!"

Butch: "TO BLIGHT ALL PEOPLE IN EVER NATION!"

Cassidy: "TO DENOUNCE THE GOODNESS OF TRUTH AND LOVE!"

Butch: "TO EXTEND OUR WRATH TO THE STARS ABOVE!"

Cassidy: "CASSIDY!"

Butch: "AND BUTCH, OF COURSE!"

Cassidy: "WE'RE TEAM ROCKET, CIRCLING THE EARTH ALL DAY AND NIGHT!"

Butch: "SO SURRENDER TO US NOW, OR ELSE YOU'LL SURELY LOSE THE FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!"

Cassidy: "YEAH! THAT'S RIGHT!"

After hearing their bizarre introduction, Luke, Tracey, and Professor Oak were taken by surprise, though more Luke than anyone else, for he had no clue who he was dealing with, but Tracey surely does. "Cassidy! And Biff!"

"It's not Biff! It's Butch, for crying out loud!" Butch shouted back in anger, trying to correct him. "It's like you people never listen to anything I say!"

"Forget about them!" exclaimed Cassidy as she wasted no time running off in a hurry. "Let's go, Buck!"

"I just said said it was Butch!" Butch shouted back as he hurried after Cassidy with the trapped Percy in the container machine still over his shoulder, while the little Riolu pounded on the thick glass and shouted for help towards Luke and the others.

"Percy!" Luke shouted in horror at the sight.

"They're escaping!" Professor Oak stated, but Luke grit his teeth and wasted no time running after them, surprising the professor and Tracey.

"Oh no they're not!" he shouted as Tracey and the professor hurried after him. "You're not getting away with my pal!"

"That's what you think, kiddo!" Butch smirked as he looked back and held a small detonator on his free hand and pushed its button, causing a few explosives to blow behind him and Cassidy, surprising Luke and the others as they came to a stop and shielded themselves from the sudden explosions, while the Team Rocket duo hurried down a hill and made a dash for a black hot air balloon with a red R logo imprinted on it.

At the same time, Luke and others coughed out the smoke caused by the explosions till it cleared up, allowing them to breath normally. However, Tracey quickly spotted something in the air and pointed up at it. "Ah! There they are!"

Everyone looked up in shock to see Cassidy and Butch flying off in their balloon with Percy's container connected to the front of their balloon basket. "So long, losers!" Cassidy smirked down at them. "And thanks for the Riolu, kid!"

"We'll take really good care of it!" Butch smirked as well, while Percy continued pounding on the container he was in and kept shouting for help.

"Percy!" Luke shouted as he grit his teeth in anger at the Team Rocket duo.

"They're heading towards the mountains!" Tracey determined where they were flying off towards as the professor grew a serious expression.

"Come on! If we hurry, we can still catch them!" he pointed out before he, Luke, and Tracey hurried after the duo.

Back at the lab, the Charmander from earlier walked on over to the hole left over by Team Rocket's little explosive entrance and rubbed its head before spotting Luke, Tracey, and Professor Oak hurrying after Cassidy and Butch. It noticed the determined and anger on Luke's face, then saw Percy trapped by the Team Rocket duo, which shocked the little fiery lizard for a moment before it got serious and made a fist, then ran out as fast it could to help Luke and the others.

* * *

_"Just when things were going well for Luke, Team Rocket's Cassidy and Butch intervene and kidnap his Riolu, Percy, right from under him."_

_"With Professor Oak and Tracey, will our hero be able to save his friend before it's too late? Find out next time as the journey's just beginning!"_

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**

* * *

**And so ends the first chapter! Hope it was good! I did my best to make sure it was! Though I know it's not perfect, and I doubt anything I make, or anyone else, will be perfect, but I feel that it's perfect for me, so I guess that's what matters most! Besides, we had all the elements here! A battle, a background to the character, and you just gotta love Team Rocket's way of making things interesting, but here we have old Cassidy and Bob! ...Or was it Butch? I swear, no one can ever get it right. XD**

**And that's about it! Till next time! Remember to review if you have any comments you'd like to share! Fave and/or follow if you want to keep up with the story as it progresses further! Until then, keep on trying to catch 'em all! :D**


	2. Welcome to Kanto, Part 2

**Howdy, everyone! Look what we have here! The second chapter of Pokemon XP already out! I got so into the story after making the first chapter that I just couldn't help but write the next chapter as soon as I could! After all, I'm sure some of you are wondering what'll happen after the events of the last chapter. Well, here's your chance to find out! Also, if you haven't figured it out yet, XP stands for eXPerience, obviously. Had a hard time coming up with the name, but I found this to my liking! Hopefully you all like it too! XD**

**And so, with all that being said, here's the second chapter! Keep in mind that I'll be slowing down a bit after this, but don't let that stop you from reading this one! Enjoy! :D**

* * *

_Luke: "Previously on Pokemon XP!"_

_"My name's Luke. Luke Bennett. I'm a new trainer who decided to start his adventures in Kanto instead of back home in Kalos, and I gotta tell ya, coming to Kanto has been quite a wild experience so far."_

_"First, we get into a battle, then we meet Tracey and Professor Oak, who're pretty nice guys, and got to hear about a returned Charmander, but I haven't gotten to meet it yet, but to top it all off, these strange two, Cassidy, and I think the other was called Biff or something, just came in and took Percy, my buddy Riolu!"_

_"Now I'm trying to catch them before they can get away, and if they think they can just take my pal from me and getaway, they have another thing coming!"_

* * *

**_~Pallet Town Mountains, Kanto (Day Time)~_**

With Percy kidnapped by the nefarious Team Rocket duo Cassidy and Butch, Luke, Tracey, and Professor Oak hurried after them, following their hot air balloon towards the mountains just outside of Pallet Town. Compared to some, the mountains weren't too big, and there was a forest surrounding the base area, but after giving chase, they've lost sight of the balloon after it made a landing somewhere. Now the trio was searching all over, hoping to find a trace of where they landed and to free Percy from their evil clutches.

"Percy! Percy!" shouted Luke as he searched high and low throughout the area with Tracey and the professor. "Where are you, pal?! Answer me!" he went on, but grew more frustrated when he heard nothing, nor found any sign of Percy, Cassidy, or Butch anywhere and growled in anger.

"I'm sure I saw their balloon land around here somewhere." said Tracey as he kept up the search.

"And yet I don't see it anywhere!" exclaimed Luke as he turned to face him. "You really sure it was around here?!"

"Well, I really thought..." Tracey rubbed the back of his head, confused, but his confusion only made Luke more enraged.

"You thought?!" he growled, but was stopped when Professor Oak jumped in.

"Now Luke, we understand you're upset, but this not the time for you to go and lose your temper." he stated with a calm tone, then smiled. "We'll find Percy, but you got to stay calm. There's still a chance, you know?"

Hearing the professor's advice and calming smile, Luke took a deep breath before frowning towards the ground. "I'm sorry, professor."

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about, Luke." the professor replied as he placed a hand on Luke's shoulder. "We understand how it feels to have our precious Pokemon taken from us. Believe us. We've been down that road plenty of times before."

"I got it!" shouted Tracey, catching Luke and the professor's attention as they noticed him pound a fist into his other hand, an idea formed in his head. "Why didn't I think of this before?! Duh!" he smiled as he took out a Poke Ball, then threw it into the air. "Come on out, Venomoth!"

Coming out in a flash of light in mid-air was a Venomoth, the poisonous moth Pokemon, with a shout upon entry, but its appearance brought a surprise to Luke, but a smile to the professor. "Good thinking, Tracey!" he exclaimed. "Venomoth should be able to find those two for sure!"

"A Venomoth!" Luke exclaimed as he took out his newly acquired Pokedex from the professor and held it towards Venomoth, obtaining its image and information on the screen.

**Pokedex: Venomoth, the Poison Moth Pokemon, and the evolved form of Venonat. The powdery scales on its wings are hard to remove from skin. They also contain poison that leaks out on contact.**

"Venomoth, we're looking for a black hot air balloon somewhere around here, and two people with a Riolu." Tracey explained up to his Venomoth. "Can you search the area and tell us if you spot any of those?"

Venomoth replied and nodded before taking off into the sky and began searching for Team Rocket's balloon. "With Venomoth searching through the skies, we should be able to find them for sure." the professor smiled as Tracey turned his smile towards him. "And to think that Venomoth was just a little Venonat some time ago."

"Thank goodness it evolved, otherwise things would be a lot harder for us." Tracey replied and the professor nodded in agreement, while Luke looked up at the sky, a look of concern on his face.

_I just hope Venomoth can find those two, or else I'll never see Percy again._ he thought and clenched his right hand into a fist. _Percy... Just hang on, pal._

* * *

Elsewhere, up on a mountain cliff, Butch was seen de-airing the balloon he and Cassidy used to escape, stashing it afterwards in the basket and wiped the sweat off his brow. "To think we've been reduced to using hot air balloons, of all things." he complained before walking over to where Cassidy was. "I remember when we used to have helicopters and other fancy stuff."

"Well we'll be getting all that back as soon as we deliver this little thing to the doctor." Cassidy smirked down on one knee at Percy, still trapped in the thick glass container they used to capture him in, who just growled and glared at the two while sitting with his legs out, not attempting to break the glass anymore, since his attempts had been nothing but failures.

"It actually looks kinda cute when it's growling like that." Butch smirked as well, while Cassidy took out a small communication device with a small screen and pressed some of its buttons.

"Now to give him the good news." she stated after putting in the call and before their eyes an image appeared on the small communicator device's screen, showing a middle aged man, like Professor Oak, but different with almost a bald head and light red hair on the sides of his head, thick eyebrows, and a large mustache to match, and he didn't look too happy.

"This better be good, you two!" he said the moment he came up on screen.

"Oh it's really good, Doctor Namba." Cassidy replied, calling the man by his name before turning the screen towards the captured Percy. "We got it, sir. We actually got it."

"One Riolu as requested, sir!" Butch exclaimed as Namba took a moment to get a good look at Percy, though he just growled at him, but this brought a sinister smile and chuckle to the doctor.

"Heheh... Well done, you two!" he grinned as his was turned to face the duo again. "Now you just to bring it back to my lab, and we'll begin the experiments."

"Understood, sir." Cassidy replied. "Though we would've been there to surprise you with it in person by now, but working with a hot air balloon compared to what we'd normally use does tend to hinder that plan."

"I'll be sure to supply you with whatever you need for your next assignment as soon as you deliver the Riolu to me." Namba informed, bringing a bigger smile to Cassidy and Butch's faces.

"Thank you so much, sir!" Butch thanked, though Namba didn't seem to care too much.

"Just don't screw it up! That is all!" he yelled before signing off and the small communicator's screen went black.

"Well, you heard him..." Cassidy said afterwards, putting the device down on the ground and smirked at Butch. "We're all set after this."

"We'll finally be back to the way we used to do things." Butch crossed his arms and smirked as well. "Next time we'll thank Doctor Numbo in person."

"IT'S NAMBA!" shouted none other than Namba as he somehow reappeared on the small communicator's screen and startled the duo before signing off and the screen went black again, leaving the two still startled, and so was Percy, who's eyes widen in shock.

But while the duo was still taken aback by Namba's strange reappearance, they were unaware of Venomoth flying around and spotted them high above, who took notice of the trapped Percy and the currently deflated hot air balloon as well and remembered those were the things Tracey mentioned. Once it knew that, it wasted no time flying back to inform Tracey of its findings.

* * *

Back where Luke, Tracey, and the professor were, until they hear anything from Venomoth, they continued the search for Team Rocket and Percy on their own, but still were unable to find them as they kept searching all over. "Percy! Percy!" Luke shouted as he ran a bit ahead of the professor and Tracey. "Come on, pal! Where are you?! Just try to shout if you can hear me?!"

"Luke, I hate to inform you of this, but I doubt Percy could if he's trapped by Team Rocket." the professor stated, but this only brought another frown to Luke's face.

"Yeah, but..." he then grew a serious and determined look back on his face towards the professor. "I just know he can hear me somehow! And I'll search no matter how long it takes until I get him back!"

"Well it's a good thing you're not searching alone." the professor smiled, but then Tracey looked up and spotted his Venomoth coming towards them.

"Venomoth!" he exclaimed, catching Luke and the professor's attention as they looked up at Venomoth too. "Did you find anything?!"

Answering the best it could, Venomoth nodded and tried to tell them it found Team Rocket and Percy up on a mountain cliff in its Pokemon language. Fortunately, it didn't take long for them to understand what it was trying to say. "Sounds like it found them." said Tracey as a spark of hope lit up for everyone, especially to Luke.

"All right!" he exclaimed as the professor took a step forward.

"Can you show us where they are, Venomoth?!" he asked and Venomoth nodded and replied before flying back in the direction Cassidy, Butch, and Percy were, but kept low to allow it to be followed.

"Let's hurry!" exclaimed Tracey as he, Luke, and the professor made haste and followed after Venomoth, unaware that the same Charmander from before was secretly following them and continued to do so as they ran.

* * *

At the same time, after finishing their conversation to Doctor Namba, Butch hoisted the trapped Percy over his shoulder, surprising the Riolu and smirked towards Cassidy. "Ready to get going?"

"Of course I'm ready." she smirked as she and Butch walked over to the deflated hot air balloon. "The sooner we get out of these mountains, the better."

"Stop!" shouted none other than Luke as he, Tracey, and the professor were seen running towards the Team Rocket duo with Venomoth flying above them.

"You're not getting away this time!" shouted the professor, which brought a frightening shock to Cassidy and Butch.

"How did they find us?!" asked Cassidy with widen eyes.

"Who cares?!" answered Butch with widen eyes too as he took out a small remote from his pocket with his free hand and pressed a button. "Let's scram!"

Upon pushing said button, the once deflated hot air balloon instantly shot back up filled with hot air again and was ready for another takeoff, which brought a surprise to Luke and the others. "They're trying to escape again!" exclaimed Luke in shock.

"Not this time!" replied Tracey as he got serious and pointed towards the balloon. "Venomoth, stop them!"

Following Tracey's commands, Venomoth gave a shout and flew right at balloon and tore right through it, creating a hole on both sides and let out all the hot air it contained, causing it to deflated again and bring a gasping shock to Cassidy and Butch. "This is why I hate hot air balloons!" Butch stated as Venomoth flew back over to Tracey.

"Nice job, Venomoth!" he smiled and Venomoth closed its eyes and was pleased.

"You didn't really think we'd let you escape a second time, did you?" asked the professor as he and Luke gave a look towards the duo.

"Now give Percy back, Cassidy and Biff!" Luke exclaimed, which brought a huge open mouth smile to Percy, seeing his trainer had come to rescue him.

"I just told you before! It's not Biff! It's Butch!" Butch shouted back in anger. "Get it right, you little twerp!"

"I don't care what your name is!" Luke shouted back, not interested in names and pointed towards the two. "Just give me back my friend!"

"You want 'em back that badly?" Cassidy smirked as she took out a Poke Ball and threw it. "Just try and take it! Purrloin, go!"

"You too, Pawniard!" Butch smirked as he threw a Poke Ball out as well, and in a flash of light came out the dark type cat known as Purrloin, standing on the toes of its hind legs, and a Pawniard, a dark and steel type, and they both looked serious and ready for a fight.

"A Purrloin! And a Pawniard!" exclaimed Tracey, surprised to see the two Pokemon with the Team Rocket duo, while Luke was curious and took out his Pokedex to get a little more information.

**Pokedex: Purrloin, the Devious Pokemon. ****They steal from people for fun, but their victims can't help but forgive them. Their deceptively cute act is perfect. **

**Pokedex: Pawniard, the Sharp Blade Pokemon. Blades comprise this Pokemon's entire body. If battling dulls the blades, it sharpens them by using stones.**

"You like?" asked Cassidy, crossing her arms. "We've been wanting to try out these two for quite some time now."

"So hope you're ready for a battle!" smirked Butch, but Luke growled in anger, while Tracey stepped up and took out another Poke Ball.

"If it's a battle you want, then it's a battle you'll get!" he exclaimed as he threw the Poke Ball. "Let's go, Scyther!"

Coming out in a flash of light was a Scyther, but unlike most, this one appeared a bit more elderly and scruffier looking. Though it came out with a loud shout and looked ready for battle, it was slightly panting already, though it didn't seem to stop it or Tracey very much. "Scyther, use Slash!" he commanded and Scyther didn't hesitate and went at Purrloin and Pawniard with its sharp sickle arms ready to strike.

"Pawniard, Metal Claw!" Butch ordered and Pawniard did so without hesitation, coming at Scyther with its small, but sharp blades for hands as they glowed a white glow and blocked Scyther's Slash, then repelled it and pushed it back, surprising Tracey.

"Now, Purrloin! Dark Pulse!" Cassidy smirked and pointed at Scyther as her Purrloin smirked as well and fired a dark energy pulse at the old mantis Pokemon, making direct contact as it yelled in pain before falling on its back near Tracey and the others.

"Scyther, no!" he shouted in worry.

"Scyther may be experienced in battle, but those younger Pokemon are too much for its old age!" Professor Oak stated, but Luke growled again in anger.

"Come on, Scyther!" he yelled as Scyther tried to get back up. "You gotta get up and fight!"

"Let's wrap this up right now!" Cassidy pointed again towards the downed Scyther. "Purrloin, Night Slash!"

"Night Slash as well, Pawniard!" Butch did the same with his free arm as Purrloin and Pawniard's arms were surrounded in a dark energy that traveled to their paw/claw and rushed at Scyther for a finishing blow.

"Scyther!" Tracey yelled in shock as Scyther tried its best, but it wasn't going to get up in time to evade the attack, but just when Purrloin and Pawniard were about to strike their Night Slashes, out of nowhere, a barrage of small fireballs were fired and knocked them back, catching them and everyone else by surprise.

The two dark types flew and landed back near Cassidy and Butch, who were in the most shock. "What was that?!" asked Butch as the same Charmander that's been following Luke and the others for quite some time now jumped out and landed between them and the Team Rocket duo, surprising everyone, especially Luke and others.

"It's Charmander!" the professor stated, which brought a curious thought to Luke.

"Wait! Is that the same Charmander who were talking about before?!" he asked, remembering the story of Charmander's trainer returning it to Professor Oak because of its shyness and lack of following orders, but when Luke looked closely, Charmander looked serious and not very happy at the Team Rocket duo. "But I thought you said it was shy! That one doesn't look very shy at all!"

"But what's it doing all the way out here?" Tracey asked.

"It might be because Charmander knew what was happening and broke out of its shyness to come help us." the professor believed, which brought another surprise to Luke, but even more so when Charmander turned its head back towards him and smiled, admitting that it did come to help.

"Charmander..." Luke replied, but smiled, as if he understood what Charmander said. "Thanks, Charmander!"

"Why that no good flame tail!" Butch growled in anger. "How dare it get in the way!"

"Purrloin! Pawniard! Don't just lay there like idiots!" Cassidy exclaimed and pointed a finger again towards the others. "Get up and fight!"

Not wanting to displease their masters, Purrloin and Pawniard forced themselves back up and growled angrily before charging towards Charmander, while the little fiery lizard looked back at Luke again and said in its Pokemon language that it wants to battle with Luke. "You want me to battle with you?" he asked and Charmander nodded in reply, which brought a smirk to Luke's face as Charmander looked forward and young boy pointed towards the duo's Pokemon. "All right then, Charmander! Use Growl!"

Following Luke's command, Charmander took a quick deep breath and unleashed a loud sound that distorts the air and stopped Purrloin and Pawniard in their tracks as they covered their ears. "It's just a growl!" Cassidy grit her teeth in anger. "Don't let it stop you!"

"Now use Ember!" Luke ordered and Charmander did so without haste as it fired another barrage of small fireballs from its mouth at the duo's Pokemon, making direct contact while they were immobilized, causing them to catch on fire and shock them as they ran shouting in circles and with widen eyes.

"Will you both get a grip! It's just fire!" Butch exclaimed, as if he was unaware that his Pawniard was most effected by fire, being part steel type.

"Here! This'll cool them off!" Tracey smirked as he took out another Poke Ball and threw it. "Azumarill, come out and use Water Gun!"

Upon entry, in a flash of light, was the aqua rabbit Pokemon known as Azumarill, who let out a happy shout upon entry, and then it unleashed a torrent of water at Purrloin and Pawniard while they were still in flames. The aqua rabbit made a direct hit upon both of them by surprise, not only getting rid of the fire that surrounded them, but also sent them back towards Cassidy and Butch, who screamed in shock as they were struck as well, by both their Pokemon and the Water Gun, sending them back towards their deflated balloon's basket. However, upon being struck, Butch lost his hold of Percy's container and the little trapped Riolu was sent flying into the air, shouting in shock.

"Hang on, Percy! I'm coming!" Luke shouted as he quickly ran and caught Percy's container just before it could hit the ground. "Gotcha!" he smiled as Percy made an open mouth smile in joy at him as Luke pressed a button on the small machine and opened Percy's container, freeing him at last, and upon release, Percy gave a big hug with a happy shout and eyes closed, and Luke couldn't help but laugh and hug back. "Good to have you back, pal!"

"Ah!" shouted Butch as he popped out of the balloon basket, seeing Luke had freed Percy. "That little twerp set the little thing free!"

"That's it!" Cassidy grit her teeth as she popped out too and held another Poke Ball out. "Bring out the rest of our Pokemon! We'll overwhelm them with sheer numbers!"

"Good idea!" Butch replied as he took out another Poke Ball too.

"Oh no you don't!" shouted Tracey as he pointed towards them. "Scyther, Swords Dance! Then Slash!"

With a second wind, Scyther shouted and did as Tracey ordered, coming at the Team Rocket duo with a spin, raising its attack power first with Swords Dance, then came down upon them with a strengthen Slash attack. They two screamed as their balloon's basket was ripped the shreds while also taking the force of the attack, along with their already injured Purrloin and Pawniard, preventing them for bringing out their other Pokemon.

"All right, pal... Time for a little payback!" Luke glared angrily towards the duo, along with Percy as he agreed and jumped out of Luke's arms, then Luke held a hand up in the air. "Use Vacuum Wave!"

Doing as told without haste, Percy swung and then threw an arm up into the air as a light blue gale swirled around him, letting him fly up into the air, then he crossed his arms and opened them, sending a light blue air slash right down at Cassidy and Butch. They screamed again with widen eyes, along with their Purrloin and Pawniard as all four of them were struck and an explosion was caused, sending them all flying high through the air.

"No!" exclaimed Cassidy as she and her knocked out Purrloin were flying through the air. "How did it all go so wrong, when it was going so right?! When did we become like those dolts Jessie and James?!"

"You know, I've been wondering how they've been doing lately." Butch admitted as he seen flying through the air near Cassidy with his knocked out Pawniard with his legs and arms crossed and appeared to be upside down. "Think last I heard they went to Alola or something."

"Oh who cares, Biff!" Cassidy replied as they went further and further into the sky.

"My name is Butch!" Butch shouted before the duo said one more thing together before disappearing from everyone's sight.

"TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF AGAIN!"

Once they were out of sight, Luke smirked and waved farewell. "See ya around, like, never!" he exclaimed, and Percy couldn't help but agree, while Tracey's Azumarill and Venomoth were glad that they've won the battle, and so was Scyther, despite being out of breath.

"Good job, everyone!" Tracey smiled before turning his sights directly on Azumarill. "And nice Water Gun earlier, Azumarill. You've really gotten stronger since evolving!"

Azumarill closed its eyes and shouted with joy at its trainer's compliment, while the professor smiled and put a hand on Tracey's shoulder, catching his attention. "It's amazing to see how well you're Pokemon have grown over the years, Tracey."

"Thanks, professor!" he thanked as Luke and Percy walked over to them.

"And I really got to thank you too!" Luke smiled, and so did Percy. "After all, if you guys hadn't come, I'd never would've gotten Percy back."

"Well we're not the only ones to thank here." the professor pointed out. "After all, if Charmander here hadn't shown up to help, then..." but to his surprise, he couldn't find Charmander anywhere. "Huh? Charmander? Where did you go?"

Everyone else was surprised as well, both Luke, Tracey, and their Pokemon as they looked all over to try and spot Charmander, but found no trace of the little fiery lizard. "That's odd." said Tracey. "I could've sworn Charmander was here just a second ago."

"Wonder where it went off to?" asked Luke before crossing his arms. "I really wanted to thank it for it's help."

"I'm sure Charmander must've scurried on back to the lab when it realized everything would be okay here." the professor smiled again. "In any case, all's well that ends well, I suppose."

"You can say that again, Professor Oak." Luke smiled and nodded in reply at the professor before looking down at Percy, who turned his smile up at him in response. "And good to have you back, Percy." he then got down on one knee as Percy said he was glad to be back before closing his eyes once Luke rubbed his head. "Don't even scare me like that again, all right?"

Percy couldn't help but laugh at that, and so did the professor Tracey, along with Tracey's Pokemon, except for Scyther, for they found it funny too. At the same time, Charmander was seen hiding behind some rocks after taking cover behind them once the tide of the battle had turned and smiled happily, but mostly for how happy Luke and Percy was to be reunited. However, as everyone was taking in the happy moment, the professor seized his laughter when he noticed the sky was becoming orange as the sun was beginning to set over the horizon. "Oh my... Looks like we better head on back before it gets too dark."

"Yeah! No kidding." Luke replied as he stood back up straight.

"If you like, you and Percy are more than welcome to stay the night at the lab." the professor smiled and offered.

"I'd be more than happy to make us dinner." Tracey smiled, causing a smile to grow on Luke and Percy's faces.

"You mean it? Thanks!" he thanked, and so did Percy with his eyes closed happily.

* * *

_**~Pallet Town, Prof. Oak's Lab (Night Time)~**_

After a long and eventful day, and after a having a good dinner prepared by Tracey, Luke and Percy were seen lying in a bed in one of Professor Oak's guest rooms as the moon shined over the night sky outside their window. They both smiled as they thought back on the events of today with their arms crossed behind their heads.

"You know, today was quite an experience, wasn't it, pal?" Luke asked and Percy immediately agreed. "We got to see some cool sights, got to meet Tracey and the professor, and we even got to take down some bad guys all in a single day!" but as exciting as all that sounded to him, Luke's smile faded when he turned his head slightly to Percy by his side. "Still, for a moment, I thought I was going to lose you, Percy."

Percy's smile also faded when he realized that might've never seen Luke again if Cassidy and Butch had gotten away with him and was sadden at the thought. "Guess that's just one of the things many trainers face when it comes to raising Pokemon, huh?" Luke started to think as he looked back up at the ceiling, but then smiled again at Percy. "But, you know, when we get stronger, we won't have to worry about stuff like that ever again. So, when we head out tomorrow, let's promise to give it our and show Kanto how awesome we are." he smirked as he took out a hand and made a fist at Percy. "After all, we're gonna be champions someday. Right?"

At that moment, Percy's sadness just disappeared thanks to his trainer's words as he smirked back at him and took out and made a fist as well with his paw, saying he was in full agreement with him. However, unknown to them, the same Charmander from before had overheard and spied on them through a cracked open door to their room and smiled, as if the things they were talking about sparked a interest in the little fiery lizard as it waged it flame tip tail around happily.

* * *

_**~Pallet Town, Prof. Oak's Lab (Morning Time)~**_

The next morning, the sun had just risen over the horizon, bringing light to a new day in the world of Pokemon as Luke and Percy were seen with Professor Oak and Tracey outside the front entrance to the professor's lab. With everything ready to go, Luke put his backpack on and gave a smile with Percy to the two.

"Well, it's been fun, but we better get going." he admitted and Percy agreed. "Thanks for everything, professor. And you too, Tracey."

"It was great to see you again, Luke." the professor smiled. "I wish you the best of luck on your journey, and if you ever need some advice, feel free to give me a call anytime you need it."

"And be sure to come back for a visit if you're ever in the area." Tracey pointed out and smiled.

"You got it!" Luke nodded in reply, followed by Percy's reply as well before they turned and waved farewell as they set off. "So long!"

"Goodbye, Luke! Percy!" the professor waved farewell, along with Tracey. "And don't forget to have fun on your journey!"

"We will!" Luke replied, along with Percy, but then the two were caught by surprise when they heard a shout from none other than Charmander, which also surprised Tracey and the professor as the little fiery Pokemon ran out of the lab and passed them, heading straight for Luke and Percy with a big smile on its face. "Huh? Charmander?" the young boy was surprised, and so was Percy, but then they smiled when they knew it was the same Charmander from yesterday that helped them. "Oh...! You're the same one from yesterday! I really got to thank you for your help back then. Really appreciate it."

Percy also admitted how much he appreciated Charmander's help in rescuing him, while the little fiery lizard closed its eyes and shouted with joy by their thanks, while Professor Oak grew a curious expression. "Hmm... I wonder..." he thought out loud, making Tracey turn his head towards him.

"What is it, professor?" he asked, but Professor Oak payed no attention to his assistant as he smiled again towards Luke.

"Luke, would you be interested in taking Charmander with you on your journey?" he asked, surprising Tracey, and especially Luke and Percy as they faced towards him again.

"Me take Charmander?" he asked, unsure if he heard the professor correctly. "A-Are you sure, Professor Oak?"

"But of course." the professor answered as he walked up to the young boy, then smiled down at Charmander. "After all, Charmander's just been wandering around the lab for quite some time, and I figured, since it apparently has taken an interest in you, that it should go with you."

"Whoa!" Luke exclaimed, surprised even more. "You really mean that, professor?"

"I do very much so." he answered as Luke down at Charmander too and saw it smile and agreed with the professor as he turned his head back towards Luke. "It's one thing when a trainer chooses a Pokemon, Luke, but it's another when the Pokemon chooses its trainer." he pointed out, making Luke look back at him with still a surprised expression. "And when that happens, it's not something you should ignore, nor deny."

For a moment, Luke thought about what the professor was telling him before looking back down at Charmander, seeing the smile on the little fiery lizard's face, then looked over at Percy, who smiled and nodded, liking the idea of taking Charmander with them, apparently. Upon seeing his friend's nod, a smile returned to Luke's face and he nodded back. "Okay..." he turned his smile with Percy back down at Charmander. "What do you say, Charmander? You really want to come along with us?"

When it was asked, Charmander closed its eyes happily and answered with a yes in it's Pokemon language. "All right then!" Luke exclaimed as he took out an empty Poke Ball and threw it at Charmander. "Poke Ball, go!"

Charmander no signs of fighting back, but allowed the Poke Ball the make contact on it and let itself be taken inside with a flash of red light. Afterwards, the Poke Ball fell to the ground and shook a few times before letting out a loud beep, the sound of a successful capture. Once the capture was done, Luke picked up the Poke Ball and grinned. "Oh yeah!" he then struck a pose with the Poke Ball extended outward. "We got a Charmander!" he exclaimed with joy as Percy jumped up with his eyes closed happily and threw a fist into the air, then Luke threw the Poke Ball upward. "Now come on out, pal!"

In a flash of light, Charmander reemerged with a joyful shout upon entry, then Luke got down on one knee and smiled at it. "Welcome aboard, Charmander." he welcomed the little fiery lizard, and so did Percy with a smile. "And since you're apart of the team, you're gonna need your own name." Luke pointed out as he thought of a good nickname to give Charmander. "Hmm... I'm thinking... Aidan. It means little and fiery. Perfect for you. What do you think?"

Upon hearing it's own nickname, Charmander closed its eyes and jumped up and down happily, liking it very much, apparently. It wasn't hard to determine by its sounds that it was a male, just like Percy, but his shouts of joy caused Luke and Percy to laugh happily, and even Professor Oak and Tracey couldn't help but join in on the joy.

* * *

_"And so, with Percy freed from the clutches of Team Rocket, and Charmander, now called Aidan by Luke, our hero's journey can finally begin."_

_"As they leave Pallet Town with energy and joy, what kinds of adventures await them? Stay tune, as the adventure continues!"_

_"Meanwhile..."_

* * *

_**~Unknown Forest, Kanto (Morning Time)~**_

After they were sent blasting off by Luke and Percy, Cassidy and Butch were seen walking through an unmarked forest, using long sticks to keep themselves up, for they were badly bruised after the events of yesterday. They groaned in pain as they forced themselves to take one step after another, but it didn't appear as if they were in any hurry to get anywhere anytime soon.

"One thing... We can't have one thing go right, can we?" said Cassidy as she took a few more forced steps.

"How are we gonna explain this one to Doctor Nembu?" asked Butch as he took forced himself to take a few more steps, but stopped with Cassidy when they heard a cellphone ring in Butch's pocket, and out of curiosity, Butch took it out and answered. "Hello?"

"IT'S STILL NAMBA!" shouted none other than Namba through the phone, greatly startling the duo before he hung up, leaving them both shocked and confused at the same time, but then they sighed sadly with their eyes closed, still unable to get over their defeat.

* * *

_"Oh well..."_

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**

* * *

**And so brings the second chapter to a close! What did you guys think? I put in some pretty interesting stuff, didn't I? Mostly the Pokemon Tracey used, and Cassidy and Butch. I figured since we haven't seen much of Tracey's Pokemon since the older episodes, I thought this would be a great chance to show that his Venonat and Marill had evolved since their previous appearances. Not only that, but since Butch and Cassidy hadn't been around since Diamond and Pearl, I figured they'd also have some new Pokemon to show off! I have to thank my friend, cecebeec, for helping me pick out their Pokemon! Hope they were good picks! XD**

**Now Luke has a Charmander! Hopefully Aidan was a good choice of a name for the little guy. It just seemed to fit him so well, in my opinion. Either way, what kinds of adventures await them? Be sure to fave/follow if you want to stay tune and find out! Till then, keep on trying to catch 'em all! :D**


	3. A Viridian City Reunion

**Hey, everyone! Welcome to the next chapter of Pokemon XP! Sorry for the wait, but I did say I was going to be slowing down after the last chapter. Plus, I'm usually busy on the weekdays, so please don't complain if my updates take some time. Besides, I really want to get these chapters done right and to the best of my abilities! You guys understand that, right? :)**

**By the way, what do you all think of the new Pokemon Masters game? I think it's amazing! I'm hooked! I haven't gotten far on it yet, but I can't wait to see the rest of the game, and I'm sure you all can't wait for me to stop yapping so you can read the next chapter already. Well, wait no more, because here it is! Enjoy! XD**

* * *

_Luke: "Last time on Pokemon XP!"_

_"After arriving to Professor Oak's Lab in Pallet Town, these strange people calling themselves Team Rocket kidnapped Percy, but thanks to the professor, and especially to Tracey and his Pokemon, we managed to get my pal back and sent those wrongdoers flying!"_

_"Though, none of it wouldn't have been possible had it not been for Charmander, who apparently wanted to come along with us afterwards, and with the professor's approval and recommendation, I caught Charmander and named him Aidan, making him the first Pokemon to join our team!"_

_"Now, after spending almost the entire day on the road, we find ourselves reaching Viridian City, and I can't wait to find out what'll happen once we get there!"_

* * *

_**~Viridian City, Kanto (Evening Time)~**_

The sun had nearly begun to set in the distance as Luke, accompanied by Percy and Aidan by his side, stood over a tall hill and overlooked Viridian City not too far from them. After spending almost the whole day on road from Pallet Town, they were glad and relieved to see some civilization before nightfall rolled in.

"There it is, you guys... Viridian City." Luke smiled and adjusted his cap. "Took all day, but we made it."

Though they were happy to have made it to the city, Percy and Aidan appeared slightly worn out from the hours of traveling on the road to get there, and it didn't take long for Luke to notice, for he too was exhausted, but still smiled down at them. "You guys are tired too, huh?" he then made a fist to get them a pumped one more time and smirked. "What do you say we get you both rested at the Pokemon Center. Should just be very close from here."

Liking the sound of being treated at the Pokemon Center, Percy and Aidan smiled, finding some energy leftover in their exhausted bodies and nodded up at their trainer. "Great!" Luke exclaimed before adjusting his backpack and headed down the hill with his Pokemon, who shouted happily. "Then let's go!"

* * *

_**~Viridian City, Pokemon Center, Kanto (Evening Time)~**_

Once arriving at the Viridian City Pokemon Center, Luke and his Pokemon walked in and their eyes widen in surprise and amazement at the building's large interior. Everywhere they looked there were different Pokemon trainers and Pokemon all over the lobby. Some were feeding their Pokemon, while others were talking and getting to know one another, both trainer and Pokemon alike as the threesome slowly walked further in, taking in everything around them.

"Wow... I knew it looked big on the outside, but the inside's a much different story." said Luke, followed by Percy and Aidan, who were in full agreement with him, but their attentions soon turned towards a young lady in a nurse's uniform walked up to them with a Chansey wearing a white nurse's apron and cap with a red cross.

The young lady had brink pink hair braided in long hoops on the sides and fair skin, and she wore a Mexican-pink colored dress with a white nurse apron, cap, and low-heel Mary Jane shoes. "Welcome to the Viridian City Pokemon Center." she smiled, while Chansey said the same thing in its Pokemon language. "I take it this is your first time here, young man?"

"Uh... Yeah." Luke replied before smiling again at the young lady. "Nice place you have here. Definitely a lot bigger than the center we have back in my hometown."

"Oh?" the young lady grew curious. "And where would your hometown be? If I may ask."

"It's back in Kalos. Aquacorde Town." Luke answered, bringing a surprise to the young lady.

"Wow." she said, slightly amazed before smiling again. "You've traveled a long way, young man."

"You have no idea." Luke replied with a slightly embarrassed smile, but it soon turned back into a normal one as he looked down at Percy and Aidan. "But we've been on the road all day, and I was hoping if I could get my Pokemon treated here."

"Well that won't be a problem at all." the young lady stated before turning her smile down at Percy and Aidan. "Your Riolu and Charmander will be treated with the best of care, like all the other Pokemon we handle here."

Percy and Aidan smiled when they heard her say such a thing and shouted with joy, despite their exhaustion as the young lady turned to the side to allow them to go with Chansey. "If you two follow Chansey to the back, we'll get you both treated right away." she stated as Chansey asked if they would follow and the two didn't hesitate to do so, leaving their trainer with the young lady as she smiled back at Luke. "We'll be back out with your Pokemon momentarily. What's your name?"

"It's Luke. Luke Bennett." Luke introduced himself. "And you are...?"

"Nurse Joy." the young lady named Joy introduced back before following after her Chansey and Luke's Pokemon, but stop to smile back at the young boy. "Feel free to wait around out here. It shouldn't take very long."

"Thank you!" Luke thanked as he watched Nurse Joy head into the back to begin treatment to his Pokemon, leaving him alone in the lobby with others he didn't knew, but as he looked around for something to do, he noticed some phone machines over to the far side of the lobby and smiled when an idea sprung in his head. "Maybe I'll make a little call back home."

It didn't take long for Luke to get on one of the phone machines, took a seat near it and put in a number, then waited as the screen showed that it was dialing. Before long, an image was displayed, and it was a young woman with the same slightly pale complexion as Luke, along with bright blue eyes, but she had long blonde hair in a much brighter shade compared to his flowing down her back. The rest of her body wasn't seen, but what she appeared to have one on top was a long sleeved white blouse with a black collar and yoke, and a bright green apron over it.

She smiled the moment she saw Luke appear on screen. "Hi, sweetie!" she said with a British accent. "I was wondering who was calling me all the way from Kanto."

"Hello to you too, Mom." Luke smiled to the woman he called Mom. "Hope I'm not calling at a bad time."

"Not at all!" she shook her head in reply. "You know you can always call us anytime. As long as we can get to the phone, of course." she admitted as a Heracross was came out from behind her, waved and shouted a hello to Luke over the screen.

"Hey, Heracross! Good to see you, too!" Luke exclaimed when he spotted Heracross. "So is Lucy, Lilly, or Dad home too? I'd like to tell them everything that's happened so far with me and Percy."

"I'm afraid your father's out on business, as usual. Lucy's out on a date, and Lilly's at a sleepover with her friends." Luke's Mom told her son what the rest of the family was doing, which brought a frown to the young boy's face.

"Ah man... I was really hoping I could talk to them too." he sighed sadly, but then a smile returned to his face. "Could you let them know that I called and that I made it all the way to Viridian City?"

"Of course I'll tell them!" his mother replied happily, and so did Heracross in the back. "So you made it to Viridian City. Sure takes me back to when we all went there together as a family."

"Yeah. Back then when we met Professor Oak." Luke reminisced over the past. "But get this, Mom... I got to meet with him again, and I even got a Charmander from him!"

"You got a Charmander?!" his mother was surprised, but was also glad to hear. "That's wonderful, sweetie! Sounds like your journey's going well already! Be sure to keep us updated whenever you can, okay? We're all very proud of you!"

"Thanks, Mom!" Luke thanked before Heracross chimed in, saying it was proud of the young boy as well, which made him chuckle happily. "And you too, Heracross! I'll call you again soon!"

"I'll be looking forward to it! Good luck, dear!" his mother wished her son before ending the call and the screen went blank, leaving Luke alone again, but he smiled knowing that his family was cheering him on and sighed happily.

However, just as Luke was enjoying his happy moment after calling his mother, he didn't hear the footsteps coming up behind him, and then a young female's voice following right after. "There you are!" she shouted, catching Luke by surprise as he eyes went wide and he stood up immediately after and turned to face whoever was shouting at him. "I had a feeling it was you over here, Luke!"

The young girl appeared to be around the exact same height and age as Luke with dark brown hair in a messy fashion, but in a good way, with a short and messy style ponytail that flowed almost down past the back of her neck, supported by a small light orange bow. She had slightly tanned skin compared to Luke's, and grey eyes. She wore a black tank top with two white lines flowing down on the front with a sleeveless dark red jacket that didn't went any further down past her chest and was unzipped with black trimmings and light grey pull strings. Below her waist were black compression shorts that came halfway down to her knees with a short dark red skirt over them to match her jacket, along with a dark brown fanny bag with a black strap tied around them, and on her feet were dark red boot shoes to match her skirt and jacket with white laces, toe guards, and black soles over black socks that stretched about a quarter away from touching her knees. Around her neck, she wore a silver chained necklace with a matching Poke Ball pendant, and on her right wrist was a silver bracelet, while on her left was a black digital watch.

What stood out most of all on the young girl, besides her not so happy expression towards Luke, was a Buneary with a bright red bow around the neck and tied in the back riding on her shoulder, and was also not pleased by the young boy, who grinned and chuckled nervously at the two. "A-April... Heheheh... Hey..." he greeted the girl named April. "W-What are you doing here?"

"Don't go acting all innocent with us." she replied, and her Buneary agreed as April pointed a finger right at the boy, making him more nervous. "Did you really think you could just go off to some other region and not tell me about it?!"

"Well, I, uh...!" Luke tried to find the words to answer her before holding both hands up in defense. "I'm sorry, okay?! I was gonna tell you I was coming here to Kanto, but I just forgot to, okay?!"

"Typical! A typical boy think to do!" she crossed her arms and looked over at Buneary on her shoulder. "Right, Mabel?" she asked her Buneary named Mabel as the little rabbit nodded and agreed before she and April gave another upset look towards Luke. "How could you just go off like that and leave me not knowing where you were?"

Luke tried to find the right way to answer, but before he could, April's expression sadden as she looked away. "Especially after we promised that we'd start our adventures in the same place, which was suppose to be home."

"Look, I'm sorry, April." Luke apologized with a sadden expression as well. "Everything just happened so fast that I completely spaced you and everything else out. I didn't mean to forget. Honest."

Upon hearing his apology, April sighed before facing him again with a smile now on her face. "Oh well... It's no big deal." she admitted as Mabel smiled and agreed with her. "After all, if I hadn't come chasing you down to Kanto, we'd never would've gotten to see some of the amazing sights around here."

"Yeah?" Luke replied, understanding what she was talking about. "Well you're not gonna believe some of the things I've been through already here in Kanto with Percy."

"Speaking of Percy... Where is he?" asked April as she and Mabel noticed that Luke's Riolu wasn't by his side. "You two are normally together, like, all the time. So where is the little guy?"

Just as she asked, a shout was heard by none other than Percy, followed up by Aidan, catching their attentions as they looked to see the little Riolu and Charmander running towards their trainer, looking refreshed and healed up with big smiles on their faces. "He's right here!" Luke smiled as his Pokemon stopped and looked up at him. "How you guys feeling?"

The two replied joyfully, saying they were feeling much better as Nurse Joy and her Chansey walked on over as well with a smiles too. "Sorry for the wait." she apologized as Luke turned his head towards her. "But I'm pleased to tell you that your Riolu and Charmander'll be just fine now."

"Great!" Luke replied. "Thanks a lot, Nurse Joy!"

"My pleasure." she replied, along with Chansey before they walked away. "We hope to see you again!"

Once Nurse Joy and her Chansey left, Mabel smiled and waved down to Percy, trying to get his attention and did so as he looked up to see who it was and was surprised when he saw it was the little Buneary. "Oh yeah, Percy, April and Mabel are here too." Luke informed the little Riolu, though Aidan was a little confused. "Surprise..."

"Good to see you again, Percy!" April smiled down at the little Riolu. "How've you been?" she asked and Percy rubbed the back of his head and closed his eyes, saying he's been just fine, then April turned her attention towards Aidan, surprised. "And you have a Charmander now, too? Wow!"

"Yeah!" Luke smiled as he introduced Aidan. "This is Aidan. I recently got him from Professor Oak." Aidan smiled, waved, and gave a hello to April as Luke crossed his arms. "And you wouldn't believe what happened to us before then."

"Well why not tell me about it?" April turned her smile back towards Luke. "I'd like to hear the whole story."

And so, Luke shared what had happened to April while they took a seat elsewhere in the Pokemon Center, while their Pokemon enjoyed some Pokemon food prepared for them in front of their trainers. As the trio munched down on their food, Luke and April had gotten some Soda Pops from a vending machine for themselves, and after hearing the incident with Team Rocket back at Professor Oak's laboratory in Pallet Town, April's smile disappeared.

"Wow... I'm sorry all that happened to you, Luke." she said before a smile returned to her face at the young boy. "But at least everything turned out all right, and you even got a Charmander. In my opinion, I think you're pretty lucky."

"Yeah, well, I don't feel all that lucky, to be honest." Luke admitted before letting out a sigh towards the floor, thinking back on how Cassidy and Butch easily grabbed and ran with Percy from him. "I mean, if it hadn't been for the professor and Tracey being there, I might've never seen Percy again. I should feel relieved, and I try to around him and Aidan, but, inside, how can I?"

April's smile faded the moment Luke expressed his inner feelings about the events with Team Rocket and looked down at the floor with him. "...I can understand that." she then turned her sights towards Mabel, who was happily enjoying her food while also talking with Percy and Aidan. "I mean, I'd feel the same if that were to happen to Mabel. Like you with Percy, I've had her since she was an egg."

"Yeah..." Luke nodded before taking out a Great Ball and stared at it, a slight smile returned to his face. "I can still remember the day I met Percy." he then begun to flashback on events that had happened a few years ago. "It was the day Dad came back home from Sinnoh with an egg he received from a friend and decided to bring it back home, and, later that day, it hatched and there was Percy. He's been apart of the family, and my closes friend, ever since."

"Same with me and Mabel." replied April as she took out a Love Ball and smiled down at it, remembering how she received her Buneary's egg years back as well and the fun times they shared together since then. "I wouldn't know what to do if I'd ever lost her." she sighed, but then she turned her gaze back upon Luke, and seeing how depressed the boy was at his Great Ball, a spark ignited in the young girl as she got serious and stood up. "But you didn't lose Percy, okay? So stop moping over what could've happened and start preparing so that it never happens!"

"Easier said than done." Luke turned his sights back on her. "That kind of thing doesn't just happen overnight, you know? Even I know that."

"No, but that doesn't mean you can't start tonight!" she pointed out, then smirked and made a fist. "So, why don't we have a battle?" though, the moment she asked that, Luke's eyes widen in shock and confusion as April crossed her arms. "You always say you want to be a Pokemon champion, right? Well, if you want to get there, you're going to have to battle lots of other trainers, so battling me should be no different, right?"

"Yeah, but... Battle with you...?" Luke sweat dropped and scratched the back of his head with uncertainty. "I don't know..."

"What?" April asked as she leaned her smirking expression closer towards the boy. "You're not scared to battle me, are you?" she surprised Luke again, then looked over at her Buneary with a grin. "Hey, Mabel...! You won't believe this, but, Luke's afraid to face us in a battle! How funny is that?"

Taking a moment to seize her eating, Mabel closed her eyes and laughed, along with her trainer, while Percy and Aidan were surprised as they turned their sights towards Luke, seeing their trainer grit his teeth and growl in anger before standing up to face April. "I'm not afraid! You hear me?!" he shouted before waving an arm. "I'll battle you anytime and anyplace, you got that?!" he then turned his gaze towards his Pokemon. "Because we're gonna be champions someday! Right, you guys?"

Fully agreeing with their trainer, Percy and Aidan stood up too and made fists and smiled proudly, while April secretly smiled to herself. _Good. That's the Luke I remember. Now then..._ she thought before her smirk returned and Mabel came over to ride on her shoulder again and smirked also. "Well then, "future champ", why don't we have a battle right now?" she asked as she pointed a thumb out the many windows overlooking outside. "There's a battlefield not too far from here."

"Hey... As long as you don't mind battling at night..." Luke replied, facing his smirk, along with Percy's and Aidan's right on her and made a fist. "You're on!"

* * *

_**~Viridian City, Kanto (Night Time)~**_

Night had fallen over the city and street lights turned on all over, giving illumination for those still out and about, which now included Luke and April as they headed out of the Pokemon Center and towards one of the nearby battlefields for a Pokemon battle. It too was lit by street lights, allowing them to battle, even in a nighttime setting. Before long, Luke and Percy stood on one side, both smirking with confidence, and April and Mabel on the other, smiling as April took out a normal Poke Ball and held it out for Luke to see.

"Since you have two Pokemon, and I have two Pokemon, how about we make this a two-on-two battle?" she asked, but this brought a bit of a surprise to Luke.

"Two-on-two?" he asked back. "You mean you have two Pokemon? When did you...?"

"Well, while I was looking for you here in Kanto, I did manage to catch this little cutie along the way." April answered before throwing the Poke Ball. "Here! I'll just show you! Let's go, Daisy!"

The Poke Ball opened and, in a stream of a light, came out an Oddish with a happy shout and jump for joy, then smiled towards Luke and Percy, who were taken by surprise and amazement by the little weed Pokemon. "It's an Oddish!" exclaimed Luke as he took out his Pokedex and held it towards the Oddish named Daisy to get a little more information.

**Pokedex: Oddish, the Weed Pokemon. During the day, it stays in the cold underground to avoid the sun. It grows by bathing in moonlight.**

"So you caught an Oddish, huh?" Luke then smiled, along with Percy. "That's pretty cool!"

"Thanks!" April thanked and smiled with her eyes closed happily. "I call her Daisy! Isn't she just cute?!"

Daisy jumped up and down a few more times and shouted happily at being called cute, while Luke smirked and took out a Poke Ball. "Cute, yeah... But, cute doesn't win battles, April, and this little guy's gonna prove it!" he then threw the Poke Ball. "Aidan, time to shine!"

Coming out in a flash of light and a happy shout was Aidan, but, his happiness soon turned to shock when he realized he was about to engage in a battle with Daisy, who smiled and gave a friendly greeting to him. In response, the little Charmander turned away slightly and scratched the side of his head, confusing Daisy, along with April and Mabel. "Huh? What's up with that little guy?" she asked as Mabel tried to figure that out herself.

"Uh... Aidan?" Luke blinked in confusion when he noticed how his Charmander was acting. "You okay there, buddy?" Percy also asked if Aidan was okay, but the little Charmander could barely face them or Daisy, but, in that moment, Luke remembered something. "Hold on... Could this be... his shyness the professor told us about before?"

Remembering what Professor Oak said about Aidan, about how he was given back to him by his original trainer because of his lack of following orders and shyness, Luke took a moment to think before making a timeout sign with his hands at April. "Timeout, please."

"Timeout?" April asked and sweat dropped, along with Mabel and Daisy. "But, we haven't even started yet."

After calling a quick timeout, Luke walked over to Aidan with Percy and got on one knee, smiling. "Listen, Aidan, it's okay if you're not entirely comfortable battling others. I get it." he stated, slightly surprising the little Charmander as he turned his head completely towards his trainer. "I used to be pretty shy myself when I was younger, but, you know how I got through it...?" he then made a fist, flexed an arm, and smirked. "I kept telling myself that someday I'd be a Pokemon champion, and in order to do that, I'd have to battle many different trainers, so I had to work through my shyness."

Percy nodded and admitted that it was true, surprising Aidan, though April shook and rubbed the back of her head at this. "Since when was Luke ever shy?" she asked as Mabel mimicked her trainer's actions, asking the same thing.

"Now, you joined us because you wanted to help us became champions, and become one yourself, right?" Luke asked and Aidan nodded in reply. "Then you can't go getting shy around your opponent, no matter who they are. Cute or not, all right?" he then held a finger up. "Just think about what you want to accomplish and worry only about achieving it, okay? It's gonna take a lot of work, I know, but if we all work together, we can get there. Right?"

Percy immediately agreed with that, while Aidan was still in surprise, but understood what Luke was talking about. His shyness wasn't going to help his new trainer or Percy achieve their goal, nor help himself. So, after taking a moment to think on that, the little Charmander smiled and nod, then made fists and shouted in determination. "That's the spirit, Aidan!" Luke replied before standing back up and faced April and her Pokemon with Percy and now Aidan ready. "Okay! Now we're ready!"

Though April and Mabel had no idea what Luke was talking about with Aidan, but they still smirked towards the boy and his Pokemon. "I don't get what that was all about, but as long as you're fired up and ready to battle, then let's go!" she exclaimed, along with her Buneary, while Daisy happily shouted that she was ready to. "You may have the advantage, but that won't stop us!"

"That's what you think!" Luke replied as he and Percy got back to their side of the battlefield and the young boy pointed towards Daisy. "Let's go, Aidan! Use Scratch!"

No longer showing any shyness, Aidan shouted in reply before charging towards Daisy with his claws sharpened and ready to swipe. "Daisy, quick...! Use Stun Spore!" April ordered and Daisy quickly did as told as she unleashed a strange yellow powder from her leafy head towards Aidan, surprising the little fiery lizard as he stopped and felt a strange paralyzing feeling course through his body.

"Aidan!" Luke shouted in shock, along with Percy before gritting his teeth. "Fight it, Aidan!"

"No chance!" April replied as she pointed towards Aidan. "Now Tackle, Daisy!"

Following her command, Daisy thrust forward with a shout and landed a direct hit on Aidan, sending him sliding back towards Luke, but he shook it off and gave an angry expression towards the Oddish. "You okay there, Aidan?!" Luke asked and Aidan shouted in reply, making his trainer smirk now. "All right! Use Ember!"

Aidan took a deep breath and fired his barrage of fire pellets towards Daisy. "Daisy, counter with Bullet Seed!" April ordered as Daisy also took a deep breath and fired a barrage of small glowing yellow seeds at Aidan's Ember, colliding with it and the two cancelled each other out.

"All right, let's try this!" Luke pointed towards Daisy again. "Use Growl, Aidan!"

Aidan took another deep breath before unleashing a loud Growl towards Daisy, surprising her as she shut her eyes tight at the high pitched sound, but afterwards, she shook it off with ease. "Now Ember, again!" Luke commanded as Aidan fired another Ember in response.

"Bullet Seed again, Daisy!" April commanded as Daisy quickly fired another Bullet Seed at Aidan's Ember, but, when the two attacks collided, Daisy's attack was pushed back, surprising her and her trainer before the little Oddish was struck by the super effective fire attack and shouted in pain. "Daisy, no!"

"Ha! How do you like that?!" Luke grinned and made a fist. "Growl weakens an opponent's attack strength, so your Bullet Seed wasn't as strong as it was last time!"

"Daisy, return!" April took out Daisy's Poke Ball and shot a red beam from it at her, returning her Oddish back inside, then smiled at it. "You did your best, Daisy. Take a little rest now."

"Way to go, Aidan!" Luke smiled and congratulated Aidan, along with Percy as he gave him a thumbs up. "See what happens when you just focus on the big goal and not being on being shy?"

Aidan looked back at his trainer and shouted in reply before flexing his little arms, feeling quite proud of himself for not letting Luke down, while April smirked as she put Daisy's Poke Ball away. "Don't go getting too excited now." she stated as Mabel smirked with her. "After all, the battle's not over yet!" she then faced down at her Buneary, who faced up at her in response. "It's your turn now, Mabel! Let's show them our stuff!"

Mabel nodded and shouted in agreement before hopping onto the battlefield, ready to face Luke and his Pokemon. "So, gonna go with Mabel now, huh?" Luke took out Aidan's Poke Ball and aimed it at him. "Come on back, Aidan!" he then returned the little and proud Charmander back into the ball, then smiled at it. "I'm really proud of you, pal." he smiled as he put the ball back on the side of his belt, then smirked down at Percy, who smirked up at him in response. "Okay, Percy... Now it's your turn. Let's win it!"

Percy shouted in agreement before making a fist, then ran out onto the battlefield to face Mabel, who still smirked, along with her trainer. "So you're going to use Percy now, huh?" she asked. "Just because we know you, doesn't mean we'll go easy on you. Right, Mabel?" the little Buneary gave another shout in reply, feeling ready for battle.

"We wouldn't have it any other way!" Luke replied before throwing a fist towards Mabel. "So let's go, Percy! Show them your Force Palm!"

Percy immediately ran forward with an open paw ready and glowing with a white glow, but Mabel didn't look scared by it. "Jump, Mabel!" shouted April and Mabel did as told and made a big jump in the air, dodging Percy's attack at the last second and surprising the little Riolu as he turned his head around to see the little Buneary land not too far from him.

"You can dodge us all night!" Luke exclaimed, getting a bit more serious. "Use Force Palm again, Percy!"

Doing as he was told, Percy ran right for Mabel again with another Force Palm ready, but, again, the little Buneary wasn't frightened. "Circle Throw, Mabel! Do it!" she ordered as Mabel ducked at the right moment to avoid Percy's Force Palm and placed both paws on his upper torso, then her right foot on his lower torso and leaned back so her back was on the ground and sent the little Riolu flying over her, surprising him as he soon landed on his back a small distance from her in pain.

"Percy, are you okay, pal?!" Luke asked in worry as Percy rolled over to his front and pushed himself back up with his teeth grit, while Mabel kicked herself back up and faced him again with smirk, making Luke grit his teeth again. "We won't let them make a fool of us! Use Dig, Percy!"

Percy let out another shout before jumping up some before coming down upon the ground and dug a hole at high speed, leaving Mabel confused and looked all over to determine where he'll pop out from. "Mabel, calm down! Use your ears to track Percy!" April instructed and Mabel did as she was told and calmed down, closed her eyes and unrolled her other ear to use both of them as she listened closely.

For a moment, everything was silent, but then Mabel opened her eyes and jumped up just as Percy came out from behind and attempted to strike her, but was surprised that he missed, and so was Luke. "What?!" his eyes widen. "But, how?!"

"Duh! Mabel's big ears aren't just for show, you know?" April smirked before waving an arm. "Now, Mabel...! Use Shadow Ball!"

Once Mabel landed back on the ground, she immediately fired a ball of ball of black and purple ghostly energy towards Percy. "Percy, Double Team! Go!" Luke ordered and Percy quickly made duplicates of himself that surrounded Mabel, though one was taken out by her Shadow Ball, leaving the little Buneary surprised and confused. "Now use Force Palm!"

Taking a chance, Percy, and all his duplicates came at the confused Mabel with a Force Palm, though only one was going to make contact on the rabbit. "Mabel, jump to get out of there!" April instructed and Mabel quickly did so, taking a big jump into the air to avoid all the duplicate's Force Palms, and the real one, then came down once the real Percy was revealed when the others disappeared. "Now Jump Kick!"

Coming down with her right foot and a loud shout, Mabel managed to strike Percy on his back, surprising him and Luke as he was sent rolling towards his trainer before stopping with his front on the ground and groaned in pain. "Percy, are you okay?!" Luke asked worryingly as Percy opened his eyes, grit his teeth, and forced himself back up to face Mabel, then Luke grit his teeth as well. "We're not out yet! Vacuum Wave! Go!"

With all his might, Percy threw an arm up in the air as a light blue gale surrounded him, taking him up into the air then crossed his arms and opened them, firing a slash of air down towards Mabel. "Mabel, Shadow Ball! Now!" April pointed towards Percy's attack and Mabel quickly fired another Shadow Ball from her mouth to intersect and collide with the attack, causing an explosion on impact.

"Force Palm!" Luke commanded as Percy landed on his toes and rushed at Mabel again with another Force Palm.

"Dizzy Punch!" April commanded Mabel as she charged right back at Percy with one of her ears ready to use for a punch and shouted as she collided it with Percy's Force Palm, releasing some sparks before another explosion erupted, consuming them in smoke for a moment before they were seen standing slightly apart from one another.

Mabel looked slightly worn out and panted, but Percy started wobbling all over and made a strange sound as his eyes shown some dizziness to them, shocking Luke. "Percy?!" he shouted in worry. "W-What's going on?!"

"Looks like Dizzy Punch's added effect kicked it, making Percy confused." April pointed out and smirked, leaving Luke shocked as she pointed towards the confused Riolu. "Now we got them! Use Shadow Ball once more, Mabel!"

With all her might, Mabel fired another Shadow Ball from her mouth at Percy while he was still in a daze. "Come on, Percy! Dodge it!" Luke tried to order Percy, but he was too in a daze to follow any direction and was struck hard by Mabel's Shadow Ball, making him shout in pain before landing back towards his trainer. "Percy!" Luke shouted in worry before running out to check on his friend, seeing his eyes were shut and tried to fight through the pain. "Are you okay, pal?!"

Percy barely managed to open his eyes at his trainer and tried to tell him he'd be okay, but Luke's frown indicated that he knew better and got on one knee to help his little friend sit up. "It's all right, pal. You've battled enough." he stated, though Percy was sadden by the fact, while Mabel closed her eyes and panted so much that she fell in a sitting position herself as April came over and picked her up.

"I think you've battled enough too, Mabel." she stated, though Mabel was also sadden as her trainer held her in her arms before facing Luke with a slight smile. "Wanna call it a draw, Luke?"

"Yeah." Luke nodded in reply with a slight smile too as he helped Percy stand back up on his toes, but held his right arm with his left paw. "You and Mabel sure have gotten strong."

"You and Percy aren't so bad yourselves." April admitted as she came closer to the two with Mabel. "And you know, Luke, I really think someday you'll be a great champion. You, Percy, and even Aidan make a great team."

"Thanks, April." Luke thanked as he shook hands with April while they gazed into each other's eyes, while Percy looked up at Mabel in April's arms and gave a slight smile, saying that she was tough and had a great battle with her, making her smile and said likewise, which made Percy close his eyes happily in response.

* * *

_**~Viridian City, Kanto (Morning Time)~**_

After a hard fought battle with his friend April, and after resting up that night afterwards at the Pokemon Center, Luke and Percy were ready to head back on the road once the sun was up. However, before they could, they wanted to see April and Mabel off as they were also planning to head out on the road themselves.

"Well, guess this is where we split up now." Luke smiled with Percy as they met up with April and Mabel in the park. "It was really great to see you again, April. Hope everything goes well on your journey."

"Same with you." April smiled back, along with Mabel riding on her shoulder. "And like I said before... You're going to make a great champion someday."

"You bet I will!" Luke smirked and made a fist proudly, then looked down at Percy. "Or should I say WE will, right, pal?"

Feeling the same as his trainer, Percy nodded and made a fist as well, saying that they most certainly will, which brought an even bigger smile on April's face. _They really are one in the same. Just like me and Mabel._ she thought as she closed her eyes._ Guess our little battle last night helped Luke after all. More ways than one._ she looked back on how Luke not only was able to forget about almost losing Percy to Team Rocket, but was also able to give Aidan a reason not to be shy. _He really is going to be a great champion. Though, he could use a little more help._

"Well... Looks like we're off!" Luke exclaimed as he and Percy faced April again with his hands on his hips.

"Hold on, Luke." April replied, surprising Luke a little as she reopened her eyes. "How about we journey together?" she asked, which brought an even bigger surprise to Luke, and to Percy, too. "We might as well, since we're both going to be exploring Kanto. Might as well do it together, right?"

"Well, yeah... I guess...?" Luke rubbed the back of his head, a bit unsure as he looked down at Percy. "You don't mind, do you, pal?" Percy looked back up at him and shrugged his shoulder, then smiled and said he didn't mind at all, making Luke smile again and faced April once more. "Well, if Percy's cool with it, then so am I!"

"Great!" April grinned happily and closed her eyes. "Looks like we're travel buddies!"

Liking the sound of that, Mabel shouted with joy as she jumped off April's shoulder and landed right on Percy, surprising him as the little rabbit wrapped her arms around his neck and rubbed the side of her face on his with her eyes closed happily. It wasn't long until Percy did the same and laughed along with her, and even Luke and April joined in for a moment before reopening their eyes at one another.

"Well then, since we're gonna be going together, where do we go from here?" Luke asked and April faced and pointed in a different direction in response.

"To Viridian Forest, of course." she answered as Luke gazed in the direction she was pointing at, seeing a lush forest not too far from where they were just outside the city. "The say it's a great place for trainers and the next city's just past it."

"In that case..." Luke smirked and adjusted his cap and backpack. "Let's go! To Viridian Forest!"

After their little face rub, Mabel released Percy and had her feet on the ground as Percy smiled and replied happily to Luke, and so did Mabel, liking the idea as well, while April turned her smile towards the boy, believing that she made the right choice to travel with an old friend like him and couldn't wait to see how far he'd go with her own eyes.

* * *

_"And so, with an old friend accompanying him, Luke sets forth from Viridian City with his confidence restored."_

_"As they journey towards Viridian Forest, what kinds of excitement await them, as the journey continues!"_

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**

* * *

**And another chapter comes to a close! This one turned out a bit longer than planned, but, no biggie! Looks like Luke and Percy won't be traveling alone out there in Kanto. Though, let's be honest... We all knew this was bound to happen, right? Just like with Ash, Luke was eventually going to have a traveling companion, but his is a good friend who also raised a Pokemon from an egg! What did you guys think of April? Be sure to leave your comments about her in your reviews! I'd love to hear what you all thought of her! She and Mabel are just a cute pair, in my opinion! XD**

**Next up is Viridian Forest, and I'll tell you now that things are really going to get interesting once they get there. How interesting? Well, I could tell you, but I'd hate to give out any spoils! You'll just have to find out next time! Until then, like I've said before, keep on trying to catch 'em all! :D**


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